Strand drying apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for drying a continuous advancing strand which apparatus includes a trough with a plurality of spaced grooves extending from openings at the bottom of the trough upwardly along the inside surfaces of the trough. Subatmospheric pressure is created beneath the openings for creating an airflow along the grooves and beneath the strand for drying the surface of the strand. Additionally, a cover with apertures is applied to the trough above the strand.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for drying a wet continuous strand which is being advanced along its longitudinal axis comprising: (a) an elongated trough member having a bottom and two surfaces extending upwardly from the base at an angle of less than 90° from the horizontal plane which passes through the base,   (B) a plenum chamber beneath the trough member,   (c) means for creating subatmospheric pressure in the plenum chamber, and   (d) a plurality of openings extending through the trough member substantially at the base and into the plenum chamber and at least one groove in at least one of said upwardly extending surfaces for each opening which extends beyond the point at which said surface is substantially tangent with a strand passing through said trough, whereby air is drawn about said wet strand and through said grooves and said openings into said plenum chamber to dry said strand.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the grooves lie in planes which are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base of the trough. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a cover which bridges said surfaces at a level above the grooves, said cover having apertures. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the central portion of the cover is in the form of an arch. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the central portion of the cover conforms substantially to the shape of the strand. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said apertures are located in the same vertical plane as said openings, whereby airflow from said apertures to said openings completely encircles a strand passing through the trough. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, comprising releasable locking means for said cover which is effective for maintaining the cover in functional engagement with the trough during normal operation of the drying apparatus and for releasing the cover from engagement with the trough upon application of a predetermined pressure against the cover in the direction of advancement of the strand. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said releasable locking means comprises: (a) a first slot in the cover, the longitudinal axis of said first slot being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trough,   (b) a second slot in the cover, the longitudinal axis of said second slot being at a right angle to and intersecting with the first slot, and   (c) a pin extending upwardly from one of the surfaces of the trough at a right angle to said surface, said pin being aligned with said first and second slots for extending through said slots at the point where said first and second slots intersect to permit the cover to be freely moved vertically relative to the trough, said first slot extending from said point of intersection in the direction of travel of the strand for allowing the cover to be moved in the direction opposite from the direction of travel of the strand to a locking position, said cover being guided in its motion by the pin extending through the the extending portion of the first slot, whereby the cover will be locked against vertical movement when it is in said locking position.